Quidditch, the Harry Potter game for wizards, hits U of C
J.K. Rowling’s magical game gets the intramural treatment
Some University of Calgary students have brought a magical game to life.
"If you've read the Harry Potter books, if you've watched the movies, we're just playing the sport that comes out of that," says Alison Armitage, a member of the U of C Harry Potter Quidditch Club.
Quidditch, a game known for being played by wizards and witches, is now an intramural sport at the U of C. Though there's been a club at the school for a few years, the first intermural match was Wednesday night.
The rules are slightly different than they are in J.K. Rowling’s fantasy world. Because the students are muggles — meaning they don’t possess magic skills — they can’t fly around on broomsticks.
Instead, they run around with a broomstick between their legs, either holding it with one hand or squeezing it between their thighs.
The game is a kind of mix between basketball, dodgeball and capture the flag.
"It's come out of a brilliant woman's imagination and it's completely impossible to do it as a literal interpretation in the books, so to bring it down to a level that we can play with that, it's incredible," says muggle Becca Madro.
Rigel Penman says the sport is good exercise — because the players can’t fly, they get a good cardio work out.
"[You run] back and forth across the gym especially every time you get hit, you do a full lap and run around your own set of hoops so it's not like there's a lot of muscular exertion. It's just all running, all the time."
The "characters" in this intermural sport admit it’s a bit different than most other games played at the university.
"You have to like some sort of geek culture in order to play this," says Bree Hartman.
"It's that taste of a world you get to be a part of."
Muggle Quidditch basics
Goal of the game: Get more points than the opposing team. Points are gained when players throw the main game ball, the Quaffle, through one of the opposing team’s hoops or by catching the Golden Snitch. Catching the Snitch (or, though this is much more rare, an agreement by team captains) ends the game.
Players: Each team has seven players.
Brooms: All players must hold a broom between their legs.
Hoops: Each team has three. They are guarded by a Keeper.
Balls:
Quaffle: This is the main game ball. There is only one. It is often a deflated volleyball. The team that gets this ball through a hoop of the other team earns 10 points.
Bludgers: There are three (in non-muggle Quidditch there are only two). Often a red dodge ball, these are the main weapon of the Beaters.
Golden Snitch: There is one. It is often a tennis ball in a sock and it is held by a player of the same name. The team that catches the Snitch earns 150 points and ends the game.
Types of players:
Chasers: Three on each team. Their main job is to get the Quaffle through a hoop of the opposing team.
Beaters: Two on each team. They hold the Bludgers and their goal is to protect the rest of the team.
Keeper: One per team, their goal is to protect the hoops.
Seeker: One on each team. Goal is to catch the Golden Snitch.
Golden Snitch: This player is not on either team. They wear all yellow and carry the Golden Snitch ball.
With files from the CBC's Terri Trembath